Why St Stephen’s congregation supports the ordination of women

The Bible and Lutheran theology endorse the ordination of women (‘Final report on the ordination of women’, CTICR, 1999), and the overwhelming majority of Lutheran churches in the world ordain women. Growing numbers of people find that the ordination of only men is a stumbling block preventing them from identifying with the church. To ordain women is in keeping with St Paul’s determination to remove obstacles to the free course of the gospel: ‘I have become all things to all people, so that I might by all means save some’ (1 Cor 9:22).

Scripture

The church is built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets (Eph 2:20), and the Bible gives clear evidence that women served in both of these offices, among others (e.g. Ex 15:20; Judg 4:4; 2 Kgs 22:14; Isa 8:3; John 20:17,18; Acts 18:26; 21:9; Rom 16:1,3,7; 1 Cor 11:5). This continued in the early church until the church started to exclude women from the ministry in the fourth century.

Texts used previously in the LCA to exclude women from such activities as leading Bible studies, lay reading, voting at congregational meetings, and chairing congregations (1 Cor 14:33–36 and 1 Tim 2:11–15) are now used only to exclude women from the public ministry. A contextual understanding of these passages shows they have to do with none of these matters. Rather, they express Paul’s sincere concern that worship be conducted decently and in good order (1 Cor 14:40), so that people can be built up in faith and love, a priority that has been expressed variously throughout the history of the church.

The late Rev. Kathleen Baskin-Ball to Suncreek UMC

Call and Gift

The ordination of women means that women who hear God’s call to ministry can have their calling tested in their own church, enabling them to be faithful to that call within their own church.

The personalities and gifts that women bring to the ordained ministry supplement and complement those of their male colleagues, to the enrichment of the church.

Pastoral Care

Some people prefer to confide in a woman rather than a man regarding pastoral concerns, or regarding specific personal issues. While laity also provide pastoral care, when this care connects with the church’s public worship and witness it has an additional dimension. Ordaining women as well as men enhances and extends access to pastoral care within the context of the means of grace.

Ministry

For Lutherans the heart of the ministry consists of the pure proclamation of the gospel and the right administration of the sacraments, in order to draw people to Christ and to sustain them in faith (Augsburg Confession 5), not the gender of the pastor.Continuing to insist on an all-male pastorate perpetuates a requirement that is not biblical and undermines and subverts the gospel.With both men and women as pastors, the ministry as a whole more truly represents and reflects Jesus Christ, the true image of God, who in his humanity has embraced the whole human race.

The members of St Stephen’s long for the day when the LCA joins those churches that have acted on the conviction that ordaining women is a vital part of our being faithful to the Gospel.

Photo, used with permission: the late Rev. Kathleen Baskin-Ball, Suncreek United Methodist Church, Allen, Texas, USA